I Spy (1965–1968) User Reviews

One of the best series ever on so many levels

[Doc Jargon · 8/10 · 3 December 2007]

Robert Culp didn't "phone in" his performances. One throw-away shot had him discover a dead body just before a commercial break, and the expression on his face was genuinely intense.

The show was ground-breaking for showcasing black talent. Yes. And huzzah for that! But it was a cracking good show regardless of racial issues. Among the many reasons already mentioned, the heroes were vulnerable. They were not stronger, better-armed or backed up by SWAT teams ready to rappel from helicopters. They often got into situations where they elected to run ... yes, RUN! Like intelligent, realistic men when facing superior odds. They were beaten (temporarily) more than a few times, and sometimes were close to death. And they weren't the only heroes in the program, as secondary characters appearing only in that episode would step in and prove useful.

"I, Spy" turns out to be superior Cold War fodder in that it showed perhaps the most realistic (although certainly still unreal, being it was early television) depiction of the stalwart American intelligence operatives trying to keep a lid on a shifting world of mayhem, out on the edge, largely alone.

And the friends, with humor and intelligence, leveraged each other into a team more formidable than three independent agents could ever muster.

These fellows showed a healthy appreciation for good things and fine women, but when the chips were down they were quick to be Boy Scouts ... and made it look convincing and even "cool." It is childishly acceptable and common to make fun of the mores of those days, but having grown up on Norman Rockwell I can tell you that the concept of being a "good guy" was serious in those days, and many men behaved with a genuine courtesy and courage that seems unrealistic today.

Cosby deserved his Emmies ... but Culp really supplied better performance than almost anyone else in those years.

Looking for a new favorite? Something you haven't already memorized and become slightly tired of? Get these DVD's and make your acquaintance with two of the coolest, yet still "upright" heroes fictional America ever produced.

The wonderfulness of I Spy's charm

[ISpyDude · 2 August 1999]

This is definitely one of *the* best TV series ever made. It broke the mold of conventional television in several ways: It was the first series to do actual location work around the world. It was the first series to feature a black lead. It was the first series to feature a multi-racial cast and guest-cast on a regular basis.

Culp was definitely wanted by Sheldon Leonard (creator). Culp offered Bill Cosby to play his partner, Alexander Scott. The networks reluctantly agreed, but Cosby instantly proved that the network's apprehension was unfounded.

Fortunately, some TV stations are nice enough to re-air the series (KDOC in California aired it three years ago, with some [mostly minor] syndication cuts. WFTC in Minnesota is currently running it, with no syndication cuts. Obviously I'm very happy right now!) Even better, "I Spy" has some new episodes released on video and on DVD (what, no laserdisc?) With luck, "I Spy" will regain some popularity as these episodes really are timeless and should be more readily available for all.

Historic series opened numerous doors

[markmanpix · 10/10 · 5 March 2007]

"I Spy" cannot be denied its contributions to history, both in television production and the Civil Rights movement. As documented in the book, "I Spy: A History of the Groundbreaking Television Series," this was the first series to cast a black actor opposite a White, with equal status and billing. And, by doing so, Bill Cosby become the first Black to win an Emmy - and he would win three in a row, as Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his work here. During that first year, show business trade magazine Variety wrote that "I Spy" was a "test show," putting NBC southern affiliates "on the spot," and that the series would show "which way the winds were blowing in Dixie." The door swung open in September 1965, and, within one year, black performers were finding regular work with non-stereotypical roles on "Mission: Impossible" and "Star Trek," and, just a couple years after that, being cast as series leads, with equal or greater status than Whites, in shows such as "N.Y.P.D.," "Room 222," and "Julia." TV, and the world, changed that quickly.

"I Spy" was also the first series to shoot around the world, introducing the technology needed to achieve this. And many believe that this is where the "buddy picture" began. Series such as "Starsky & Hutch" and "Miami Vice," and even movies like "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid," certainly took their lead from "I Spy."

This historic series proved that sometimes television can do more than just entertain.

You have to see the Hollywood remake to appreciate the original

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 13 November 2013]

The year was 1965, two years after we lost JFK. We had colour TV but it is not in a lot of homes. Yet. We also had gentlemen of African extraction, but they were not on a lot of TV shows either. In other words, this show was not only outstanding entertainment on its own, but it was as radical behind the camera as it was in front of it. The producer, Sheldon Leonard, had a vision, a revelation, as to how this kind of series should be done; and to his credit he successfully sold it to the suits. Travel, locations, savoir faire. This kind of formula had been successfully used in England (Danger Man) but in the US, I SPY was following shows like the MAN FROM UNCLE, filmed more or less on the same sets and stages each week. Culp was great. He had a leanness and a restlessness which fit the part perfectly (played cop in an earlier series, so he was easy to cast). Not as easy to cast was Cosby, a black entertainer who had made history in Vegas and other venues with his easy comedy and addictive tales of growing up. Later, comics like Richard Pryor (to name only one) would credit Cosby as their inspiration. Even more astonishing, he had crossed over into the mainstream media, and was popular on both sides of the racial divide. You might be inclined to assume that casting him as the co-star in a spy series was a no-brainer. You'd be wrong. There was opposition, but it was overcome. As it happened, Cosby was superb, somehow blending his easy delivery from his comic act into an action figure. He was portrayed as the more educated of the two, and when they were ordering a meal in a Chinese restaurant, he was Cosby that would break spontaneously into Mandarin. It was a fun and extremely well produced series. Would it hold up well today? I believe it would, to the discerning viewer. It most certainly will hold up better than Hollywood's horrific feature remake of the some name, which I suspect will be lost to history.

Anyone for tennis?

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 26 July 2009]

'I Spy' premiered on U.S. television a year after the launching of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E'. At first glance the shows appear virtually indistinguishable - a pair of globe-trotting secret agents constantly facing danger, as well as lots of lovely women. But that is where the similarity ends. 'M.F.U.' followed the Bond formula closely, but 'I Spy' was much more original.

It broke new ground by having a black man - comedian Bill Cosby - as a lead, not a supporting character. Times were changing in the mid-60's. Within months of his debut, 'Mission: Impossible' gave us Greg Morris as 'Barney Collier' and Nichelle Nichols opened hailing frequencies as 'Uhura' in 'Star Trek' . 'Alexander Scott' was as important as his friend 'Kelly Robinson', played by Robert Culp. Robinson's cover was that of a world-class tennis player, while Scott was his coach. The strong relationship between the men was an integral part of the show's success. The humorous banter they exchanged made it a joy to watch. It paved the way for the buddy-buddy shows that followed in the '70's.

While Cosby rightly got the acting awards, one should not overlook his co-star. Culp, an early choice to play 'Napoleon Solo', made 'Robinson' more human than some of the other spies on television at that time. In 'Room With A Rack', for instance, we see him being tortured, and he was just brilliant.

It also was the first show to boast overseas location filming. When Scott and Robinson strolled down a busy street in Tokyo, that is exactly where they were. As a consequence it had a realistic edge many similar shows lacked.

The plots were more down to Earth too. No mad scientists threatening to unleash death-rays on Washington D.C. Robinson and Scott were more likely to be rescuing a kidnapped British mathematician or busting up a gang of saboteurs posing as respectable businessmen. There was no 'M' or 'Mr.Waverly' figure ( though Walter Wager's novels featured a desk-bound superior called 'Donald Mars' ), instead they got their orders from other agents in the field.

The roster of guest-stars included Boris Karloff, Eartha Kitt, Peter Lawford, Martin Landau, Michael Rennie, Dorothy Lamour, Carroll O'Connor, a pre 'Jason King' Peter Wyngarde, and future Bond villain Richard 'Jaws' Kiel! The show was massively popular, winning Cosby Emmys ( as previously noted ) while Culp saw acclaim for his intelligent scripts ( the best one being Season 3's 'Home To Judgment' ).

Strangely, after three years, it ended, apparently as the result of conflict between the network and producer Sheldon Leonard. Culp and Cosby went their separate ways, briefly reuniting in 1972 for the film 'Hickey & Boggs', and then as Scott and Robinson in 1994's T.V. reunion movie 'I Spy Returns' which, in my view, was not much good.

2002 saw the inevitable cheesy Hollywood remake, starring Eddie Murphy as 'Robinson' and Owen Wilson as 'Scott'. Its makers had clearly never seen the show. Murphy/Robinson was now a boxer, with Wilson/Scott his promoter. The plot, such as it was, concerned an invisible plane. This insult to celluloid rightly flopped. The best thing to be said for it was that neither Culp nor Cosby were persuaded to do cameos.

'I Spy' remains a thrilling, funny, intelligent show that set new television standards, ones that have never been equalled, much less surpassed.

Travel the world and go back in time. Thanks Hulu!

[pa28pilot · 9/10 · 1 June 2009]

I was quite young when this series was filmed, but remember the re-runs quite fondly. I have to echo the sentiments I've seen expressed. After finding 2 seasons of episodes on Hulu, I have engaged in an orgy of I Spy watching.

I don't think that we in modern (2009) American culture really remember just how recently it was that the rest of the world was truly mysterious. In the 1960s and early 1970s, going out for Chinese food, even in New York and some other cities with Chinatowns was a bit of an event. We certainly didn't have 10 places that would deliver cuisine from pretty much any culture of the world directly to one's door, as even the suburbs often do today.

It is with that backdrop that I would call any prospective viewer's attention to the often breathtaking location shots in this series. Not only do you get a real feel for how various parts of the world looked, but you get to do so in a time when telephones weren't always right there in a pocket, and a car was a massive yet often stylish thing.

In a time now when it seems no drama can run for more than 10 minutes without something exploding, I Spy still holds the attention of the viewer, transporting them to places we've not been (and can't go back to in time), while presenting themes that recur even in a post-Cold War world.

Alexander Scott is a genteel man, but in no way effete or effeminate, despite his education. He also was someone who came from the city and worked his way to an exceptional education. Scotty tries, wherever he is in the world, to be the antithesis of the "Ugly American", but is a patriot at the same time. His skills as a polyglot certainly don't hurt.

Kelly Robinson is a little more coarse than Scott, but not above finding opportunities for adult frivolity and perhaps even silliness. Though occasionally falls off the straight-and-narrow, is an upstanding guy by most modern standards.

As someone who has lived and worked in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. and the government it houses for most of my life, I find it refreshing that these characters can discuss some of the moral vagaries around their jobs and missions without immediately leaping (as characters seem to in modern movies) to defection or total dissipation. (Don't even get me started about the first Mission:Impossible movie.) Yes, sometimes they face some difficult ethical choices, and they do the best they can, but as you'd expect, some choices weigh more heavily than others on them.

The thing that makes I Spy resonate with people is that these two seem like normal guys. Granted, one is brilliant and they're both very highly trained to do an exotic job, but they're all too human while still, in some humble way, being heroic.

Groundbreaking Series Made Bill Cosby a Star...

[cariart · 19 January 2004]

"I Spy" represented NBC at it's most daring, in 1965, and proved that actor/producer Sheldon Leonard, best known as the guiding force behind "The Andy Griffith Show", "Make Room For Daddy", and "The Dick Van Dyke Show", could offer a first-class dramatic entry, as well. Certainly in an era when civil rights was an explosive issue, and television series were predictable and shot exclusively on studio sound stages and back lots, a program that was filmed 'on location' and featured an African/American in a leading role for the first time (in a mainstream dramatic show) was not only revolutionary, but was potentially disastrous, as well. It is to everyone's credit that NBC, the most successful network at that time ("Bonanza" had a 'lock' on Number One in the ratings) was willing to take the risk, and introduce this remarkable series to American audiences.

Robert Culp was an established television star when the series debuted, a respected 35-year old actor with credentials that included one of the first major 'made-for-TV' movies (THE HANGED MAN), strong theatrical film work (PT 109 and Sunday IN NEW YORK), and Emmy-nominated TV guest performances. A gifted writer as well as actor, he and Leonard had discussed a TV series for a while, something that would capitalize on his dramatic abilities and avoid the stereotypes rampant in weekly television at the time. When a script involving a tennis pro and his trainer/manager, actually CIA agents, who would use their covers on worldwide missions, was hammered out, Culp knew he had found the right formula. The co-starring role became the focus of attention, and while Culp would later take credit for 'discovering' Bill Cosby, both he and Leonard were impressed by the 27-year old performer's brilliant stand-up comedy work (Leonard's friend, comedian Allan Sherman, had 'introduced' Cosby for the young comedian's first 'live' album), and both men deserve credit for offering the project to the 'untested' actor. With Cosby in place, filming began, and magic appeared.

While the initial focus was on Culp's flamboyant 'Kelly Robinson', with Cosby's 'Alexander Scott' relegated to the more serious role of the 'contact' man with the CIA, Cosby had a way of 'punching up' his dialog, adding hip one-liners and asides that not only improved scenes, but gave the character of Scott a humanity that the scripts lacked. The stories became funnier and far more interesting, and Culp and Leonard were more than pleased with the results. The series quickly became an audience favorite, with Cosby winning the first of three Emmys in his role. Culp began ad-libbing, as well, following Cosby's lead, and the chemistry between the actors was so natural and easy-going that "I Spy" became television's most popular 'buddy' show.

With the show 'on location' for much of the shooting schedule, a season's worth of scripts would have to be available by the start of filming, a practice unheard of for any other series. This resulted in some 'clichéd' episodes that writers had little time to polish, and Cosby and Culp's ad-libbing skills would be necessary to 'lift' their overall quality. The resulting humor would give the series a 'freshness' that not only made even the weaker entries enjoyable, but resulted in a series that still 'works', nearly forty years later.

Eventually, even the stars' best efforts couldn't disguise the thinning material, and after three seasons, "I Spy" was canceled (although Cosby would win his third Emmy in a row for the last season, a testament to his talent), and the remarkable experiment was over.

Sadly, "I Spy" did not dramatically change the African/American presence on TV, at that time, but Bill Cosby's success would provide him a window of opportunity for continued television exposure, and with each subsequent success, more opportunities would become available for gifted performers of other races. He was, and is, truly a pioneer of the medium, and the most enduring tribute of the series Sheldon Leonard created for Robert Culp may have been in introducing Bill Cosby to 'mainstream' America. It is a legacy that both Leonard and Culp were justly proud of!

A Spy Show Like No Other.

[sam-468-676831 · 10/10 · 13 November 2020]

Ok So Imagine This. It's the Mid 60's. THEE NUMBER ONE thing that is sweeping pop culture in America at the time (and arguably around the world) are Spies and Espionage. The first James Bond movie came out in 1962 and all of a sudden, EVERYONE wanted to be secret agents. The idea of basically being a globe trotting super hero with a gun and fancy gadgets fighting off crazy bad guys all of a sudden seemed appealing to most people after being introduced to this world by the words & characters of Ian Fleming (the creator of James Bond).

So when this happened overseas, America DID NOT WAIT ONE MOMENT to jump on this craze. They soon came out with their version of this both in Movies (Matt Helm and The Flint Movies). And on TV (first with The Man From UNCLE)

But when the Spy craze was going on in America. Another movement that at the time was reaching it's boiling point in America that was making news headlines night after night that stemmed from a problem that was long rooted into American Society for many years was The Civil Rights Movement. And for the first 4 years of the 60's, the lack of opportunities blacks were getting in Hollywood at the time was starting to show itself when you turned on the TV and every major show on Network Television at the time consisted of all white casts. You almost NEVER saw black actors & actresses on TV, while the records you heard on Top 40 radio consisted of both black & white artists.

But on TV. It simply wasn't like that. Until this show came on the air and literally changed EVERYTHING. The producers knew what they were going to do for this show, and they knew what they were up against and what kind of criticisms they were going to get from people in the south but they simply thought "if not now, then when?". They realized network TV was stuck in a vast wasteland frozen in time and things needed to be propelled forward instead of backwards.

So they decided to cast an UNKNOWN Actor of Color in a lead role alongside a white actor in a co lead role. The black actor in question was someone who's race was almost never in question in the show nor was it ever an issue. For all anyone cared, he could have been a white guy. This was the first time EVER this occurred and it couldn't have come at a BETTER time. America was experiencing MAJOR Civil Rights Reform at the time the show aired. And along with TV going from Black & White to color, People Of Color also started to show themselves on TV creating a realistic view of American Society on TV for the first time EVER.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as how groundbreaking this show is. Not only did they cast a black actor in a lead role, but he was also a COMEDIAN and because of this, he brought a flair of comedy to the series and since him and his co Star worked as a team of American Government agents, they brought a certain level of Chemistry to their roles combined with one liners & banter that probably was never scripted or made up really, and the friendship Culp & Cosby had on screen was also real and would last long after the series ended. Robert Culp was already a star in his own right having guest starred on DOZENS of TV shows before he landed this role, but Bill Cosby at the time basically had NO acting experience when he was cast in this show alongside Culp and the only thing they had to go by for him was clips of his stand up comedy routines on the late night or day time talk shows

But that was enough for them to sign him on to do this show because even though he was basically unknown, they saw something of a certain kind of charm and likeableness in him that no one else did and Robert Culp & Sheldon Leonard wanted to make history. They knew this had to happen eventually and the time to do that was now. They knew NBC's southern affiliates wouldn't air the show but did they care? Absolutely Not! Time marches on and this show is a good example of that.

But another thing that made this show different was When the Secret Agent genre was established, the shows (like The Man From UNCLE and The Saint). were shot on bland fake sound stages & sets that didn't always look realistic. When it looked like American TV watching audiences were seeing them in Hong Kong. They actually weren't in that country. But this show went the extra mile and did something no other show had done before. They did extensive location shooting in other countries besides America and all of a sudden, the idea of having two globe trotting spies seemed all the more real with actual locations that matched the places they were in in each episode of the show vs Hollywood sets and sound stages . The show is AMAZING to watch now because you get to see what the world looked like 55 years ago and how maybe if you've been to these countries Kelly and Scotty go to, you'll notice they aren't that incredibly different now from when the series was shot.

But also, the series was different from other Spy shows of it's time because Kelly and Scotty we're undercover agents bud they didn't always enjoy their jobs and often questioned why they were even doing their jobs in the first place. They also never owned any special gadgetry other then their guns so all they had to go by to fight off the bad guys were their wits & gut instincts. And since One of them was black, this also allowed some MAJOR black celebrity actors & actresses to guest star on the show. Then all of a sudden, TV was no longer a white washed medium and people of minorities became well represented on TV for the first time in history.

Bill Cosby also became the first black actor to win an Emmy for Best Actor in a Dramatic series and this show served as a launching pad for his incredibly successful career he would have after this show ended. But not only that? Just a season after I Spy debuted, SEVERAL network TV shows all of sudden had black actors & actresses in lead parts (everything from Star Trek to Mission Impossible and Mannix and everything in between) I mean this show LITERALLY kicked the barn door open for black actors & actresses to thrive on TV in non stereotypical roles for the first time EVER.

I can't speak highly of this show enough, and it definitely was THEE BEST Spy/Espionage show at that time because it dared to be different and defy all odds and be a successful show. Please go watch it. Even if you can't stomach seeing Cosby in anything right now, It's worth watching just to see all of the cool foreign location shooting they did at that time. It's available to watch on Prime in it's entirety (Prime Video has Seasons 2 and 3, you can watch season 1 on YouTube as well).

The series that became groundbreaking and shattered barriers...commemorating the original "I Spy" television series on its 50th anniversary

[raysond · 10/10 · 31 December 2015]

The television series "I Spy" represented NBC at it's most daring that in 1965 actor-producer-creator Sheldon Leonard,best known behind the guiding force behind "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Danny Thomas Show aka Make Room For Daddy",and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" could offer a first-class dramatic entry as well. Certainly during the 1960's when civil rights was an explosive issue,and television series were predictable and shot exclusively on studio sound stages and back lots,a program that was the first to filmed 'on location' and to featured an African-American actor in a leading role for the first time(in a mainstream dramatic series that was totally brand new in 1965)was not only revolutionary,but potentially disastrous as well. It is to everyone's credit that the powers that be over at NBC,which was most successful network at that time was willing to take this extreme risk and introduce this remarkable series to American audiences that would be the first to be filmed on location in exotic places around the world and in full color.

Robert Culp was an established television and film star when the series debuted with credentials that included his work on television Westerns( the series,"Trackdown" from 1957-1959),his work on the first major made for-TV movie ("The Hanged Man"),guest star appearances("The Outer Limits","Naked City", "The Virginian", "Rawhide", "Gunsmoke", "The Corruptors","Bonanza","Mr.Novak","The Man From UNCLE"),and strong theatrical film work("PT 109", "Sunday In New York","The Raiders"),and his credentials as gifted writer and actor. The premise for "I Spy" was the adventures of a tennis pro Kelly Robinson played by Robert Culp and his trainer Alexander Scott(A Rhodes Scholar) played by newcomer Bill Cosby,who were actually CIA agents who would use their covers on worldwide missions,was hammered out. Culp knew he had the right formula with Bill Cosby and this is where the show took off. The co-starring role became the focus of attention throughout the series with the initial focus was on Culp's flamboyant 'Kelly Robinson" and Cosby's 'Alexander Scott' relegated to the serious role of the 'contact' man with the CIA. While Cosby having a way to 'punching up' his dialog this had the potential of the actor putting in one-liners and asides that not only improve the scenes but gave the character of Scott a humanity that the scripts lacked. Not only were the episodes became funny but it also added in several good action-packed sequences that made this show stand out. Not to mention some of the best dramatic acting ever assembled. Thus it became television's most popular espionage buddy show and the result won three Prime-Time Emmys during it's sensational three year run at NBC.

The creative force behind the show were writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine and cinematographer Fouad Said under there production company "Triple F Productions" under the aegis of Desilu Studios where the series was produced. Fine and Friedkin were co-producers and head writers and wrote the scripts for 16 episodes, one of which Friedkin directed. Friedkin also dabbing in acting and appeared in two episodes in the first season of "I Spy". The series aired on September 15, 1965 and was placed on NBC's Wednesday prime-time schedule opposite "Amos Burke" and "The Danny Kaye Show" that did very well in the ratings. The series lasted three seasons producing 83 episodes in color until April 15,1968. "I Spy" ran for 2 seasons on Wednesday nights,and in its third season the show moved to Monday nights. Big name writers included Jerry Belson, Stephen Kandel, Edward J. Lakso, Robert Culp, Chester Krumholz, Jackson Gillis, Earl Barret,and Oliver Crawford. Big name directors from Earl Bellamy, Christian Nyby, Paul Wendkos, Leo Penn, David Friedkin, Sheldon Leonard, Tom Gries, Mark Rydell, Anton Leader, Richard Benedict, Hal Cooper, Ralph Senensky, John Rich, Richard C. Sarafian, and Allan Reisner.

Big name guest stars consisted of seasoned African-American actors ranging from Cicely Tyson, Ivan Dixon, Diana Sands, Abbey Lincoln, Brock Peters, Eartha Kitt, Godfrey Cambridge, Leslie Uggams, Beah Richards, and Raymond St. Jacques. The guest stars that appeared on "I Spy" included Carroll O'Connor, Jim Backus, Maurice Evans, Nehemiah Persoff, Victor Buono, Joey Heatherton, Lee Weaver, Julie London, Roger C. Carmel, France Nuyen, Ricardo Montalban, Gene Hackman, James Best, Nancy Wilson, Madlyn Rhue, Jay Novello, Lloyd Nolan, Kamala Devi,Boris Karloff, and Harold J.Stone. along with Martin Landau. Even Sheldon Leonard was a guest star on an episode as well as producer David Friedkin was also a guest star. Other guest stars included newcomer George Stanford-Brown,along with James Earl Jones and Roscoe Lee Browne. Even "Andy Griffith" alumnus Ronnie Howard was also a guest star in an episode.

The best episodes from this Emmy winning series "Home To Judgment", "Mainly on the Plains", "The War Lord", "Bet Me A Dollar", "Trial By Treehouse", "Dragon's Teeth", "So Long, Patrick Henry", "A Cup of Kindness", "Bridge of Spies", "Danny Was A Million Laughs", "The Loser",and "It's All Done With Mirrors" and so much more. The phenomenal success of "I Spy" basically opened the doors for other African-American actors who would go on to bigger and better careers,thanks in part to Sheldon Leonard who opened the door for Bill Cosby who went on to make historical contributions to this series. And the overall achievements that the television series "I Spy" made opened the doors for other actors as Nichelle Nichols("Star Trek"),Rosey Grier("Daniel Boone"), Greg Morris("Mission:Impossible"), Don Mitchell("Ironside"),Clarence Williams III("The Mod Squad"),Diahann Carroll("Julia"), Robert Hooks ("N.Y.P.D."),Otis Young("The Outcasts"),and Raymond St. Jacques("Rawhide"),and Don Marshall("The Land of the Giants") and many more. Without the success and the launching of "I Spy" this would have not been possible. Happy Annniversary "I Spy".

Has America Ever Had Two Better Espionage Agents?

[P_Cornelius · 10/10 · 9 July 2007]

What a tremendously influential series was I Spy. Both for American television in general and the individual viewers who had the opportunity to tune in every week back when it first aired. Me, in particular. Thanks to I Spy, and the debonair Kelly Robinson, I first took up a tennis racket and began a love affair with the tennis court that continues to this day. But even far more influential than Robinson and tennis, there is Alexander Scott.

When it was all said and done, it was Bill Cosby's Alexander Scott who remains most vivid in my memory. Witty. Intelligent. Sophisticated. Lethal. Yet restrained in emotion and reserved in manner, he never forgot his respectable lower middle class big city origins. Nobody has ever encapsulated the qualities of the American hero better than Cosby in this role.

You simply have to watch the entire series to appreciate the greatness of Cosby's performances. While his persona was intense, it was never out of balance, out of control. Cosby never played the fool. Which could not be said of his partner, Kelly, who was always going off the deep end, whether out of anger, depression, or joy. Kelly might go on a month long drunk, lose himself in a quest for revenge, or, just about every week, foolishly fall into some hopeless love affair. No matter. Scott was always there to save him, reel him back in, make everything OK and save the day.

And there's something else about these two guys. They were always loyal patriots. If their government sometimes involved them in shady acts and moral compromises, they never reacted by turning on their country or their own kind. They knew they faced a greater evil. And they knew that only they (and their fellow agents) stood between their friends' and families' way of life and countries, the USSR and Communist China, in particular, that were ready and eager to subjugate them all.

Finally, the runtime of this series is usually about 51 minutes. What a luxury to see a TV series that has the time to spin out a story AND delve into meaningful character development.

With Star Trek . . . I Spy were the two best shows of the 60's

[rkersh · 10/10 · 24 November 2007]

I saw an episode of The Cosby Show many years after I Spy and Robert Culp did a guest spot. It was a joy to see that these two friends still had the magic that made them a hit in the late 60's. It is rare to watch chemistry between two actors and these guys had it, along with the action and exotic locales where the characters traveled. I loved this series and during the 1960's daze of war protests, campus riots, and the efforts by Mr. King, this was a welcome relief. The show had the right balance of drama, action, comedy and cool guys spying . . . I have never had the opportunity to watch any of the shows in the last 25 years. I would hope they hold up as well as they did when I viewed them in those turbulent times.

A Wonderful TV Show For All the Right Reasons

[terenceallen · 29 June 2004]

It so common that we like things because they help us to escape. We like things because we know they're not good for us. We like things because nobody else like them. And sometimes, we don't know why we like things, we just do.

Those of us who love and adore the 1965-1968 television series I-Spy have many reasons to like it. We can like it because it was the first, and up to this point the best, of the buddy pairings that have become so commonplace in TV and movies. Think about it. As far as drama/comedies go, who were the first evenly matched hero team? Crockett and Tubbs weren't, and don't compare. And there isn't anybody else worth mentioning. The rapport between Kelly and Scotty has never been equaled. Spenser and Hawk come the closest.

Then there's the presence of Bill Cosby, who wasn't handed charity. He was given an opportunity and made the most of it. The three Emmys on his mantel attest to his skill and his popularity.

Then there's the location filming. And the fun. And the charm. and some great guest performances along the way. This was and is a great show. Terrific and timeless.

The best of the cold war spy series

[mrcoreyr · 9/10 · 28 July 2008]

A truly unappreciated show in in so many ways. First we have a African-American lead who is every bit as capable,suave, savvy as the the Caucasian male lead. The exotic locations were real and not just props. The villains(if that is the right name)were plausible and very much in step with the times. The show had the right blend of humor, action and drama. The show had a lot of competition at the time (The Saint, The Man from UNCLE, Avengers, Mission Impossible, It Takes a Thief)but this gem seemed to stand above the rest due to the scripts and in no small part the terrific acting of Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. Seldom will you find a show before or since with two actors that play so splendidly off of each other. If you have not seen it, do yourself and come in out of the heat of 24, NCIS, and The Unit and step back into the Cold War with I Spy.

CR

funny savvy spy series

[mikelly321 · 10/10 · 31 January 2008]

In a world of spy spoofs like the Avengers, the Man from UNCLE, and, yes, even the Wild, Wild West, I Spy breathed fresh CIA air into the mix. There was something edgy (not as edgy as Secret Agent Man) and real in the super villain free world throughout which Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott cavorted. Cool graphics announced each episode with Robert Culp as Kelly Robinson (who spied under the cover of being a world class tennis player) morphing from a racquet wielding serve-and-volleyer to a handgun brandishing, enemy-stalking agent. The haunting theme music is as recallable as Star Trek's even though I haven't heard it since the mid 60's. Yes, I just admitted to being a teen fan of the show. My views are therefore time colored. A card carrying nerd at the time, I reveled vicariously in any number of these kinds of shows. I pulled the plastic P38 from my Man from UNCLE shoulder holster and took aim at various on screen enemies from my top bunk bed superior vantage point. I tried to teach myself tennis banging wildly at a viaduct near our home. I even took for a brief period to introducing myself to girls as Kelly, not a complete lie since it is my surname. None of this, however, was as bad as when I shaved back my temples a couple years earlier in a vain attempt to simulate Robert Vaughn's receding hairline when I was a 14 year old Man from UNCLE zealot. I digress, and this has turned into a review about teenage boy obsessions instead of a critique of the I Spy series. Can you really critique something that affects your outcomes almost as much as your first love did – perhaps more so? Maybe it was because I was fatherless as a teen. These spy guys were the mentors and the role models I so sorely lacked. They taught me the virtues of standing up against villainy, developing rich friendships with at least one other trustworthy guy, and to keep a stiff upper lip even when you never win the Emmy. Robert Culp was, in fact, quite gracious every year when Bill Cosby would beat him out of it. Of course, Cosby's Alexander Scott was brilliant (and not just because he was a Rhodes Scholar – insert laugh track here). The sum of their complementary parts managed every week to be greater than the whole. This period of my life feels remarkably clear (aside from my skin). I think it's because shows like I Spy, many of the aforementioned and of course Star Trek made such powerful imprints on my psyche. They showed boys how to be men (including not to be afraid of liking girls). I would recommend this series to anyone who wants to return to a wonderful time in television history (or in their own lives as in my case). There were many now recognized to be classic shows, and this one is very near the top of that list is my memory.

Sad that nothing has touched the originality

[Launchd-II · 4 October 2009]

I bought the entire series on DVD recently and have spent many evenings watching two or 3 episodes each. While I grew up during the shows original run, I'd only watched a few then. So for a while, due to the invariable trappings of the times it was filmed during, I was taken back a bit. However I was really involved with the adventures and characters of the two main characters (and the venerable Kenneth Tobey as their most frequent handler). This show being compared to any of the numerous other espionage series is not a serious comparison. The location filming and abilities of cast and crew made this as special a show as another series from the same time period that made such an impact on me. Culp and Cosby will forever be unique for a multitude of reasons, together they made a good entertainment greater. Long live "I, Spy".

BP

An ABSOLUTE classic!

[jwpeel-1 · 25 February 2003]

Not only was this show groundbreaking, but it had such quality to it that it really should be as well-known as another series that aired on the same network in those years called "Star Trek." I became such a huge Robert Culp and Bill Cosby fan after this series originally aired, and wish it would be released on DVD or VHS complete. Now that I have them in BOTH forms, I can die happy now. And I SHOULD mention here that I am the same John Peel who worked on the TV site with the late Donna Lemaster, and my e-mail has now been for some time [e-mail] rather than the longer jwpeel@imw/tiac.net that still appears at that site, in case anyone would like me to give them any info on the show. This fabulous show inspired me to become a writer as well as feed my love for acting, but unlike other series of its type like Mission Impossible, it did not merely copy familiar ground in the spy genre like so many James Bond-type clones, but reinvented the form with great straight drama laced with comic highlights. It is just a shame that we don't see more of the dramatic side of Cosby. He was quite good in those shows, and won three Grammys to prove it, and he owed it all (and said so in his acceptance speeches) to his buddy and costar Robert Culp. Just the locations alone make it a memorable show, but the quality of writing makes it all the more memorable. If you have never experienced this show before, you must.

Bill Cosby's best work for the tube. Apart from "Fat Albert," obviously.

[Victor Field · 11 December 2002]

Apparently only one comment a year is allowed for this show, so here's 2002's.

The misgivings that I've got about the Eddie Murphy/Owen Wilson take on "I Spy" would seem to be justified by most accounts (even allowing for the presence of the scrumptious Famke Janssen), and now that Carlton Direct has closed down it's unlikely repeats of this fine spy show will be back on British television in the near future. Too bad.

Unlike most other series, the adventures of Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott (spies under the guise of a tennis player and his coach, played by Robert Culp and Bill Cosby respectively - the latter won three Emmys in succession for his performances, which are indeed easier to take than his subsequent incarnation as the endlessly self-adoring Dr. Cliff Huxtable) benefitted from actual location shooting around the world and from intelligent scripts, some by Culp himself - though not "To Florence With Love," a two-part story which had a most unusual ending in part one; our heroes are trying to get information from someone by threatening to cover him completely in plaster of Paris, and it ends with the would-be stooge about to be totally closed up. (He cracks at the start of part 2, obviously, but there's no doubt that they really would let him suffocate if he hadn't.)

The chemistry between Culp and Cosby and the great theme music by Earle Hagen (plus scores from him and Hugo Friedhofer - bless Film Score Monthly for issuing a CD of music from the series) are two more reasons this plays well on TV today. If you take care with a product, it'll be good forever; which is why "The Cosby Mysteries" won't be fondly remembered 30 years from now. If ever.

The Anti-Spy Show

[Sargebri · 28 March 2010]

This show was very unique when it comes to spy shows that were on television at the same time. Of course, the fact that it was one of the first shows to feature an African-American in a non-demeaning role made it unique as well as the humor, but there were other factors that helped make this show one of the most memorable of the 1960's. First, it was probably the only spy show that didn't rely on any special gadgetry as was the norm on shows like Mission: Impossible, The Man From Uncle and even the Wild Wild West. The two spies had to rely on their wits in order to take on their weekly antagonists. The second thing that was very unique about the show was that it relied on heavily on characterization. The characters of Kelly and Scottie were probably the most fleshed out characters on not just shows dealing with international intrigue, but of any show in that era. However, the most interesting aspect of this show was the fact that the characters actually questioned why they were in the business. Of course, this was in the middle of the Cold War, where loyalty was never an issue on the various spy shows, but this was probably the first one where the characters actually would question why they were being sent on these missions.

The original action buddy comedy.

[mack3175 · 12 January 2003]

If I think back to all of it, this show started it all. For some viewers who have not watched it, and best remember Bill Cosby from The Cosby Show. When ever this show will be shown in re-runs on T.V.Land. Just might find this show very enjoyable. Bill Cosby and Robert Culp were perfectly cast has Alexander Scott and Kelly Robinson two undercover agents going on dangerous missions and enjoying sight seeing. This show in many ways tried not to be to serious or to silly. It is a great blend of action and humor.

Interesting series, if not always a good one.

[foxbrick-1 · 12 March 2005]

I SPY arrived in the wake of Bond, and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E's first blush of success (I don't believe that THE AVENGERS or SECRET AGENT had quite made it to the U.S., but they soon would), and while Cicely Tyson had already taken a leading non-domestic role in EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, that series was less of a success than I SPY was. I SPY may not've had the first "interracial" kiss on U.S. television, but it certainly beat STAR TREK's much-bruited non-kiss (between William Shatner and Nichelle Nicholls's characters, and more of a pressing faces together) by several years, with the numerous appearances of France Nuyen as Sam, Robert Culp's Kelly's great love (apparently, Nuyen and Culp were an item off screen for a while; amusingly, Nuyen and Shatner may've kissed ((I don't remember clearly)) on her one STAR TREK appearance, which followed by nearly a decade Nuyen and Shatner's appearance together in the stage version of THE WORLD OF SUSIE WONG, wherein, as Nuyen told LIFE magazine, Shatner often "needed" ((sic)) a preshow massage from her). The emphasis on East-Asian settings in the first season particularly was canny, if also ethically arguable--surely Cosby would appear particularly All-American to even the most nervous viewers in distinction to these Other people, however often they were played by just as All-American actors. The politics in other ways were often simpleminded, particularly when compared to even SECRET AGENT, but the human drama was also at times remarkably present even given the flimsiness of the scripts, as noted here by others.

This is truly a great TV series

[obie-8 · 12 January 2001]

This is truly a great TV series. it's funny , it's very smart , the acting is excellent. The Way Culp and Cosby play off or each other is marvelous, you felt that after the cameras stopped rolling they remained the closest of friends. The locations (most notably through Asia) are quite significant for the time as it was unheard of for an American tv show to be film in China and parts of the Far East. Almost every episode included a notable guest star. Quite a refreshing peace of television. I do remember "Nick at Night" re running the series void of syndication edits in the late 1980's Please don't judge the series by it's half hearted , feeble "Return of i spy" tv movie that aired on CBS I believe a few years back , this in no way represents the enormous quality of it's predecessor.

A really great series; wondering: why no re-runs/syndication?

[mluna · 21 October 1998]

This was a great series.

Why does it remain on a shelf somewhere, instead of claiming its rightful place in late-night-retro-TV - re-runs ??

It was so quick and witty and sixties-era-cool and campy.

My imagination makes me wonder if anyone 'owning' the show

no longer wanted it broadcast, after its original run,

or what?

It seems I do remember a few years of re-runs on NYC TV

Channel 9--then WOR, now "The WB"-- from @ 1968, but only

until @ 1972 at the latest.

Where did it disappear to, and why?

I'd love to know.

MLL